20 Things to Look Forward to During Montauk St. Patrick’s Day Parade Weekend

Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Montauk! For those heading out to The End to celebrate at the Montauk Friends of Erin Parade, here are 20 things to look forward to this weekend:

1. The 53rd Annual Montauk Friends of Erin St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday! Step off is at 11:30 a.m. on Edgemere Road.

2. Not drinking on the train to the parade. (But, seriously—LIRR rules.) The Long Island Rail Road has added an additional train to its weekend schedule to accommodate the crowds. A 6:45 a.m. train from Penn Station arrives in Montauk at 9:51 a.m.; and the regularly scheduled 7:45 a.m. train from Penn arrives in Montauk at 10:49 a.m. Don’t miss the special
1:31 p.m. parade train back west, which gets into Penn at 4:59 p.m. Otherwise, you’ll have to eat, drink and be merry in Montauk until 1 a.m. Monday.

3. Losing the people you came with, but making at least one new friend among the 40,000-plus expected revelers.

4. Drinking black gold: Guinness!

5. Congratulating Grand Marshal Terry Watson, a longtime resident of Montauk and a former Montauk School Board member for 30-plus years. “I remember thinking I had never been out to the end of Long Island before. I had no idea there was anything like that. Of course, it was less developed back then. We came out in a two-seater Corvette. It was my sister-in-law’s car, and I remember driving down the Napeague Stretch. It was so beautiful,” says Watson about Montauk.

6. Being offered a drink from a stranger. We don’t necessarily recommend accepting.

7. Pretending that you know how to do an Irish jig, but really you’re just doing the bathroom dance because you’ll get on line for the restroom way
too late.

8. Shouting “Sláinte!” (Gaelic for “Cheers!”) whenever you take a drink.

9. Seriously considering if you should take up the bagpipes and join one of the bands for next year.

10. Impressing friends with Irish trivia. It’s “Happy St. Paddy’s Day,” not “St. Patty’s Day.” According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008–2012, 15.3% of people in Montauk claim Irish heritage. The Montauk Parade is the second largest in New York State. “Erin go Bragh” translates to “Ireland forever.”

11. All of the floats! Waving at the Dan’s Papers smart car, watching musician Nancy Atlas and her parade of Elvis revelers, the fire departments, the giant Montauk Brewing Company beer can…

12. Accidently dropping your cell phone 1. Into a cup of beer or 2. On the sidewalk while trying to capture a selfie with a leprechaun.

13. Indulging at Montauk’s finest restaurants: Sammy’s, John’s Pancake House, Gold Coast Kitchen at Montauk Yacht Club, The Seawater Grille at Gurney’s, Harvest on Fort Pond, The Montauket, Inlet Seafood and Swallow East are among the places that will be open on Sunday. Reservationsrecommended!